The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-05-27
Farmers Second Best Friend.


Without any doubt the Allen co.
farmers best friend is the REGISTER.
and next to this we think lie the Anti
Horse Thief Association. This name
IL misnomer, as it really Is an Anti
Crime Association. This Association
is National in its character and In its
10Th year. In order that you may un-
derstand what this order is for; I will
quote the Preamble to the Contribution,
"Whereas, we, the citizens of the sew
eral States, comprising the National
order of the Anti Horse Thief Associa-
ton, for the protection of ourselves
against the depredations of thieves,
robbers, conterfeiters, incendiaries,
Migrants, and all other criminals, do
hereby pledge ourselves to cooperate
with the civil authorities in bringing
to justice all such offenders, aiding
each other in the recovery of stolen
property, do mutually agree to be gov
erned by the following constitution"
The National order has granted char
tiers to the following States: Missouri,
Illinois, Kansas and Iowa, each state
having jurisdiction as follows: Mo. Ov-
er Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana;
Illinois over Michigan, Indiana aud all
territory south of the Ohio and east Of
the Mississippi rivers, not otherwise
districted; Iowa over Minnesota, Wis.
consin and all territory north and west
not otherwise districted; Kansas over
Nebraska and all territory west and
south not otherwise districted. Each
Of these states contains subordinate
orders and members as follows: Iowa
has So with an average membership of
q; Missouri 1856 with average m ember.
ship of %; Illinois 1872 with average
membership "a: Kansas 2O8 with aver
age membership 81. Total number
$50 with total membership of 1851.
In connection with this order i'm Kan
sas, is the Central Protective AssOcia-
ton of Kansas and Missouri with a
membership of 1000.
Thus it will be seen that in case a
horse is stolen, 2l76l members will he
on the alert to aid the regular authori-
ties capture the thief in SO hours or
less. There is only one sub-Order in
this county and it has Jurisdiction all
over the county.
The Grand Order of Kansas Is char
tered by the State a. well as by the
National order, and each sub-Order 10
chartered by the Grand order. 1t costs
$1.OO to join our sub-order and the dues
are 30 cents per quarter, or $1.OO per
year. This money is all our own, ex.
cept Scents per capita as annual dues
to the Grand order OF Kansas.
Nothing can offend member of this
order more than to be classed with the
Vigilantes. The difference Is appar-
ent. The vigilantes are extremists.
paying little more regard to the law
than do the class they try to suppress,
while the A. HI. T. AS. organic law is
not to anticipate, but to assist the |
civil authorities and see that our laws
are lived up to and carried out to the
letter. In case of q horse theft we
are enabled by sheer force of numbers
to cover ground in day that it would |
tax the officials to the the utmost to |
go over In a week, and some instances |
speed is the open sesame to success.
We promote the right and suppress
the wrong, particularly in one direc-
ton, which Is defending and protect
ing our own property, which is the
object of our Association. Bribery,
robbery, murder and asssassi.
nation stalk boldly forth over the
land. The condition of Things clearly
indicates the insecurity to person and
property. The REGISTER is teeming
with accounts of the most diabOlical i
leeds known to man. We are all
aware that crime is on the increase and
The infection Is spreading to an alarm.
ing extent. And this can only be
sverted by the people everywhere de-
in their own minds that the
Time has come for q reformation and
arise in their strength to assist in the
vindication of the law.
The A, II. I, A. stands out pre-em-
nently far above any other secret so
,iety in the land. Not only does it
,enifit the individual members. Tut it
yoes a step farther and becomes q pub X
ic benifit by suppressing crime and
criminals and assisting our officers in
the law. Thus we could
Keep on until the reader was tired out,
nut will close by saying that it takes
2 members to procure n charter and
he cost of charter and the deputy for
officers is about $500. AS
'ur order has nothing secret except its
lack lists 1--WE have printed black lists
f all criminals and suspects together {
With their description and supposed
'bode) land passwords, we would be
pleased to answer any questions L
trough the farmers column that any (
me may ask. c. NORTON. Ii
'ec. Sub-order No. 1S5 A. HIT. A.